Review - Michter's US-1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey 2019
Bottled at 108.4, this particular selection from barrel No. 18F829 is truly a wonder to behold. Familiar but with a depth of flavor and ABV punch that you won’t get from Michter’s std US-1 Rye.
Rating 4.5 Glasses
Distillery: Michter’s Distillery
Years Aged: NAS
Proof: 108.4
Local Price (USD): $79.15
Availability: Rare
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Caramel with rich long legs.
Nose: Pepper and rubbing alcohol leaning into butterscotch and cherries.
Taste: Rye spiciness and buttery smooth charred vanilla with a warming heat that rises slowly.
Finish: Oak and rye spice that lasts well into overtime.
Conclusion: Luckily we were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to snag a bottle of this limited 2019 release. Barreled at a lower 103 proof allows the higher water content distillate to take on more of the flavors of the barrel and makes for a fuller-bodied whiskey. Bottled at 108.4, this particular selection from barrel No. 18F829 is truly a wonder to behold. Familiar but with a depth of flavor and ABV punch that you won’t get from Michter’s std US-1 Rye. It’s hot and spicy like a good rye whiskey should be and we can only hope to come across another in the future. For the money if you happen to see this one on the shelf at your local liquor outlet, grab it and don’t look back, you won’t be disappointed.
Review - Wanderback Whiskey Batch No. 2
…Wanderback's second release sets itself apart by first aging in new American oak barrels then finishing its last 6 months in Nicaraguan ex-rum and Heaven Hill ex-bourbon barrels. In our opinion Batch No. 2 is a notch above its older sibling and delivers a smoother, more balanced and flavorful experience overall….
Rating 3.5 Glasses
Distillery: Westland Distillery (Bottled by Wanderback)
Years Aged: 3 (website says 4)
Proof: 100
Local Price (USD): $64.95
Availability: Uncommon
We want to thank the the good folks over at Wanderback for providing this sample for review. Our reviews are objective and without bias regardless of how the whiskey was obtained.
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Golden amber with skinny turtle legs.
Nose: Floral and buttery rum cake drizzled with grenadine and lightly singed around the edges.
Taste: Sweet, spicy, rummy. Less smokey than Batch No. 1.
Finish: Smooth but medium fade. No smoke but instead hints of cherry brandy and rum.
Conclusion: Made from the same mash bill as Batch No. 1, Wanderback's second release sets itself apart by first aging in new American oak barrels then finishing its last 6 months in Nicaraguan ex-rum and Heaven Hill ex-bourbon barrels. In our opinion Batch No. 2 is a notch above its older sibling and delivers a smoother, more balanced and flavorful experience overall. As far as rating this whiskey, we would give it 4 glasses based on flavor and experience but the higher price point holds it back a bit. Yet still a very strong performance for only their 2nd release to date. Mash bill: Washington Select Pale Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, Munich Malt, Crystal Malt. Bottles Released: 2,500 Based on how the current progression has been, we can't wait to see what Wanderback has in store for us with Batch No. 3 set to be released in the fall of 2019. You can check out our review of Batch No. 1 here. And when it's released our review of Batch No. 3 here.
Review - Wanderback Whiskey Batch No. 1
The first release from Wanderback Whiskey, Batch No. 1 was made in collaboration with Westland Distillery in Seattle, WA….This solid whiskey is full of oak and smoke and perfectly at home enjoyed neat in a Glencairn.
Rating 3 Glasses
Distillery: Westland Distillery (Bottled by Wanderback)
Years Aged: 2 (Website says 3)
Proof: 90
Local Price (USD): $59.95
Availability: Uncommon
We want to thank the the good folks over at Wanderback for providing this sample for review. Our reviews are objective and without bias regardless of how the whiskey was obtained.
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Golden Honey. Slowly developing thin legs.
Nose: Smokey bacon, toffee and maple with a hint of vanilla.
Taste: Buttery toffee gives way to spice and charred oak. Reminds me of Lagavullin.
Finish: Long smokey dry finish with remnants of charred oak and spices.
Conclusion: The first release from Wanderback Whiskey, Batch No. 1 was made in collaboration with Westland Distillery in Seattle, WA. Aged in new American oak barrels, this great single malt contains a mix of Washington Select Pale, Pale Chocolate, Munich & Crystal Malts. Released in Summer of 2017, Wanderback's Batch No. 1 took home the 2018 double gold medal from the The American Distilling Institute. This solid whiskey is full of oak and smoke and perfectly at home enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. If you liked this review of Batch No. 1 go check out our review of Batch No. 2 here and we can't wait for the release of Batch No. 3 which is slated for Fall of 2019. Bottles Released: 2160
Review - Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 is a solid barrel proof bourbon that is readily available and reasonably priced. Steadily increasing in proof over the years, this most recent release at 116.8 is the best yet… Rare Breed delivers a flavor packed punch that can hang with the other big boys in the category …
Rating 3.5 Glasses
Distillery: Wild Turkey
Years Aged: NAS
Proof: 116.8
Local Price (USD): $39.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Dark caramel with drippy legs that are slow to develop.
Nose: Fir trees, vanilla, spices, pipe tobacco and alcohol.
Taste: Charred oak, lemon zest, vanilla, caramel & a burn that just don’t quit.
Finish: Oak, sour cherries, pepper, bitter dark chocolate. The heat remains long after everything else fades.
Conclusion: Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 is a solid barrel proof bourbon that is readily available and reasonably priced. Steadily increasing in proof over the years, this most recent release at 116.8 is the best yet providing way more flavor and boldness above the previous 112.8 which was kind of a dud. Purportedly comprised of 6-12 year old whiskey, Rare Breed delivers a flavor packed punch that can hang with the other big boys in the category such as Booker’s and Elijah Craig. The price is on point but the only thing that knocked it down a bit on the glass rating was that the alcohol was a bit too forward and wiped out some of the more nuanced flavors that might have been present had it been better balanced.
Review - Old Grand-Dad 114
…Old Grand-Dad uses a mash bill of 62% Corn, 28% Rye & 10% Malted Barley. This unusually high Rye content and high proof makes this pour an especially potent one. Basically like pouring 10lb of sugar into a bucket of kerosene and setting it ablaze…
Rating 3 Glasses
Distillery: Jim Beam
Years Aged: NAS
Proof: 114
Local Price (USD): $29.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Amber paraplegic
Nose: Oak and rye spice hits you right upside the head.
Taste: Lemon, alcohol and dark cherry sweetness. This is where it’s high proof really shines through.
Finish: Molasses with a burn that seems to last forever but finally fades leaving just an essence of ethanol.
Conclusion: Named after Basil Hayden Sr. a famous distiller known for being the “King of High Rye”; Old Grand-Dad uses a mash bill of 62% Corn, 28% Rye & 10% Malted Barley. This unusually high Rye content and high proof makes this pour an especially potent one. Basically like pouring 10lb of sugar into a bucket of kerosene and setting it ablaze. All joking aside it is a bit harsh overall and could use a little smoothing around the edges but we can’t really knock it too hard as it’s a decent one to have on the shelf and definitely can’t complain about the price.